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Ex-Meta Engineer Reveals What Actually Drives Customer Acquisition

When it comes to digital advertising, few people understand the inner workings of ad algorithms better than those who built them. A former Meta Ads Engineer, who also worked at Reddit’s ad platform, recently shared insider knowledge from five years working on the Meta ads algorithm and helping over 120 brands optimize their acquisition strategies.

Their insights break through the noise of marketing myths and outdated tactics, focusing instead on the real levers that drive performance. Below, we’ll break down the most valuable takeaways, explaining how businesses can leverage first-party data, real-time tracking, and algorithmic optimization to significantly increase ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and lower acquisition costs.

1. The Hidden Power of Technical Optimization

The biggest mistake businesses make? Poor technical implementation. The Meta ad algorithm is only as good as the data it receives, and most businesses are sending incomplete, inaccurate, or delayed data, resulting in underperformance and wasted ad spend.

How to Fix It:

  • Server-side API integration – Essential since Apple’s iOS 14+ updates cut off a major portion of third-party tracking.

  • First-party cookie implementation – Helps businesses own their tracking rather than relying on ad platforms.

  • Advanced matching parameters – Enhances audience precision by improving how Meta matches conversions.

  • Custom conversion events – Goes beyond basic purchase tracking to capture deeper intent signals.

  • Real-time event logging – Ensures immediate, high-quality data is sent to the platform for stronger attribution and better targeting.

Server-side event tracking leads to a 3-4x improvement in ad performance over relying on client-side tracking alone.

2. First-Party Data Is the Key to Winning in 2024

The old way of advertising, relying on third-party pixels from Meta, Google, or TikTok, is fading fast. Privacy regulations (iOS 14+, GDPR, CCPA) have reduced data availability, making first-party data collection the most valuable asset for businesses today.

What First-Party Data Should You Be Tracking?

  • User behavior patterns – What actions customers take before buying.

  • Conversion paths – How users move through the funnel.

  • Time-to-conversion – Identifying and optimizing for the best conversion windows.

  • Cart abandonment signals – Tracking intent signals before users drop off.

  • Feature usage metrics – Key for SaaS and B2B businesses.

Most businesses experience a 30% data loss when relying on client-side tracking alone. Logging these events server-side ensures full data capture and stronger ad performance.

3. How Meta’s Ad Algorithm Actually Works

Most marketers misunderstand how ad delivery systems prioritize campaigns. According to the ex-Meta engineer, the real key to winning in digital ads is feeding the algorithm better data.

What Actually Moves the Needle?

  • Event quality scores – Meta assigns a quality score to each conversion event; high-quality signals improve ad ranking.

  • Server-side conversion matching – Reduces mismatched attribution, increasing optimization accuracy.

  • Bidding strategy alignment – Ensuring your bidding model (Lowest Cost, Highest ROAS, etc.) aligns with your actual conversion patterns.

  • Creative performance signalsMeta weighs creative engagement heavily, meaning ads that drive more on-platform interactions perform better.

Server-sent signals are weighed 2-3x more than pixel-based tracking, which means businesses that properly implement server-side tracking have a massive advantage.

4. The Underrated Power of Email + Paid Ads Integration

The highest-performing brands don’t just rely on ads, they combine paid marketing with email engagement to create a flywheel effect that amplifies retargeting, brand awareness, and conversions.

Most Businesses Miss These Flows:

  • Abandoned cart (ecommerce) – Engaging users before they drop off.

  • Abandoned intent (B2B) – Targeting users who viewed pricing pages but didn’t convert.

Most businesses focus on abandoned checkout emails, but this ex-Meta engineer stresses that real impact comes from engaging customers before they leave.

Syncing email engagement data back to Meta & Google Ads via server events improves retargeting performance by 25-30%.

5. The Formula for 2-3x ROAS Growth

The biggest takeaway? Meta’s algorithm rewards businesses that provide high-quality, real-time conversion data. According to the ex-Meta engineer, brands that fully optimize their tracking routinely see a 2-3x ROAS increase by implementing the following:

  • Use server-side tracking to reduce data loss and improve accuracy.

  • Own first-party data instead of relying on third-party pixels.

  • Align bidding strategies with high-intent conversion signals.

  • Combine email engagement and paid ads for better retargeting.

By focusing on data precision and real-time optimization, businesses can reduce customer acquisition costs, increase ad performance, and scale more profitably. Even as digital ad costs continue to rise.

Final Thoughts

The era of lazy, pixel-based tracking is over. If businesses want to thrive in 2024 and beyond, they must take control of their data, implement advanced tracking methods, and optimize their ad strategies based on real-time, first-party insights.

If you’re looking to double or triple your ROAS, the time to start optimizing your ad strategy is now.

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